Cabling strap



Dec. 1l, 1945. y 1s. P. HULL ETAL" CABLING S`TRAP Filed Dec. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 CABLING STRAP Samuel P. Hull, Yonkers, N. Y., .lohn J. Corcoran,

Cleveland, Ohio, and Beverly A. Lundy, Larchmont, N. Y.; said Lundy assignor to Railroad Accessories Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,740

7 Claims..

This invention relates to conductors and particularly to conductors known as cables and more especially to a means which will be designated, a cabling strap, for securing the separate conductors of a cable together and supporting them or for supporting a plurality of conductors which have already been made into the form of a cable.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of a device of the type specied which will be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply, efficient in use, and not harmful to the separate conductors making up a cable and of a design such that there is suillcient supporting area to prevent cutting of the cable by the cabling strap.

A further object of the invention is the production of a device of the type specified which will electrically insulate the cable from the messenger wire or cable.

A further object of this invention is a provision of a device of the type specified which will be particularly resistant to deterioration or corrosion from atmospheric conditions.

A further object of the invention is the production of a device of the type specied which will be so constructed that it will be equally effective whether wrapped clock-wise or counter-clockwise about a cable.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, and the particular embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated the particular preferred physical embodiment of the invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a device constructed in accordance with our invention applied to a preformed cable supported by a messenger wire; Fig. 2 is a View of the device, as shown by Fig. 1, as looked at from the right hand side, with some parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the device of Fig. l, on the plane indicated by the line III-III, viewed in the diing a cable which is formed by the assemblage or bunching of conductors together with or without a central messenger wire; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 5, on the plane indicated by the line VI-VI of Fig. 5, viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line; Fig. '7 is a detail view of that portion of our invention which will be designated as the cable wrap; Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view ofthe device, as shown by Fig. 7, on the plane indicated by the line VIII--VIII of Fig, 7, viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line.

An ordinary and conventional construction of cable and messenger wire is illustrated in Fig. 1, where I designates a preformed cable or assemblage of electrical conductors such as 2. This cable I, conventionally, may have a sheath of metal entirely surrounding it or present merely insulating material on its periphery.

n Numeral 3 designates a messenger wire or cable which is conventionally used to support the cable including the electrical conductors 2.

By our invention we provide a messenger wire hook designated as a whole by 4 and shown in detail in Fig. 4. This messenger wire hook is formed from substantially flat bar stock 5 by bending and forming. It is bent into a' hook, as best illustrated by Fig. 4, so that there is a semicircular. portion 6 terminating in substantially parallel ends I and 8. This semi-circular portion 6 is made of Various radii so as to conform substantially tothe radius of the particular messenger wire with which it is intended it shall be used. Each edge of the bar stock 5 is turned at a right angle so as to form edge ribs, 9 andlll, as well shown in Fig. 2. A median rib I is struck up from the center of the bar stock to further strengthen the hook. On each edge of the bar stock just below the termination of the edge ribs 9 and I0, two ears, I2 and I3, are formed projecting substantially in the plane of the side ribs 9 and I0 and at a right angle to the general flat surfaceof the bar stock. Below the ears I2 and I3 the bar stock is formed with marginal struck up ribs Illand a tail end I5 is provided which is adapted to befcrced Vinto parallelism with the depending portion I6 of the hook and may then be secured in position by folding over the ears I2 and I3 thereupon. There is provided a shoulder II at the end of the tail I5 to prevent the tail from drawing downwardly out of engagement with the ears I2 and I3 after they have been pressed into place against the tail.

The hook member d forms the means for supporting the cable wrappingmember designated as a whole by I8.

The cable wrap or strap I8 includes a central stringingrexible rod or wire I9, as best shown in Fig. '7. This stringing Wire I9 extends from the outer face of an endblock ZIltotheA outer.face 2i of the end block of the opposite end of the strap. This Stringing wire I9 is preferably made of metal, and preferably of a metal or metal alloy resistant to atmospheric conditions to the end that it will be immune to corrosion. It may well be made of galvanized iron orphosphorbronze. This wrapping wire I9 is preferablyformed with slight depressions, nicks serrations,..or indentations, as 22, for the purpose of themore securely holding blocks, to be later described, which are molded thereon.

spaced somewhat apart along the Stringing wire I9 are small somewhat rectangularblocks or beads 23. These blocks are of insulating material and preferably made of atherrno plastic resin such as Bakelite. These blocks arepreferably molded in place on the 'Stringing wire I9. -Each block is molded with the two' oriiice's therethrough, as 24 and25, best shown in Fig. 8. Each block has its opposite faces, of which in practice one of the other contacts the outside of a cable, preferably formed with minute serrations, as 26 and 21, parallel with the Stringing wire I3.

After the beads or blocks 23 have been formed in place on the Stringing wire I9 thetwo ends of an attaching wire 28 are passed through the orifices 24vand 25 of all of the blocks 23, as best shown in Fig. '7. Thisattaching wire'28 is formed into a supporting loop Y2t at one end of the bends 2,3 providing a stretcher portion 3!)` which is adapted to seat on the hook 4 Substantiallyat the junction between the portions I vand the tail I5 it also has bulging ends. This attaching wire, so formed, when seated in portion between yI6 and I5 is, due to its form restrained from displacement endwise, due tothe curved ends 3| and 32` of the attaching wire contactingthe edges'of the tail piece I5. Y

In practice, the portion i's'placed on the tail I5 of the hook andthe tailbrought up into the parallelism with the portion I6 of the hook and the ears I2 and I3 pressed down into place over the tail I5 as best shown in"Figs. 1 and 2. This is all preferably done at the factory or place of manufacture.

When it is desired tosup'port a cable on a messenger wire, the wrapping I8 is wrapped about the cable to be vsupported'bringing the free ends, 33 and 34, in contact with the wire 28 just over the curved portions 35 and 36, respectively, and extending beyond, then the free ends areV twisted together so as to form a twisted tail 31, as best shown in Fig. 1.

After the wrapping has been completed and the tail ends secured, vthe messenger wire hook 4 is hooked over the messenger wire 3,

In some cases the messenger wire,`ii" used, is positioned in the centerof the cable orno inessenger wire at all is used but reliance is placed upon the strength of the metallic conductors themselves to support themselves. 'In such case the wrap I8 merely serves to compactly and rigidly hold all of the conductors together. In such case, hook 4 is not used at all.

When the form, as shown in Fig. 5 is employed, a tube 38 is placed over the portion 30 of the attaching wire 28'prior to forming that attaching wire into the form as shown in Fig. 7. This tube is preferably made of fairly heavy copper and is formed with flanged ends, as at 39 and 40. With this tube in place on the portion 30 twisting the ends of the attaching Wire 28 together to form the twisted tail 31 will not draw the portions 35 and 36 together in such a way that ythe, free ends 33 and 34 may slip up ovei curves 3| and 32.

The entire device is made o1' material which will not corrode when exposed to atmospheric conditions. The hook 4 is preferably made of a bronze which is substantially resistant to atmospheric conditions. The stretcher wire I9, as stated,is preferably made of material resistant to atmospheric conditions. The blocks 23 have been found, when made of Bakelite to be resistant to weather conditions. The attaching wire 28 is preferably made of phosphor bronze which is resistant to weather conditions and the flanged tube 38 is preferably made of copper which is also resistant to weather conditions.

` 'I'he minute serrations or rougheningof the blocks or beads 23 is such that the material of the cable supported will not be abraded by any tendency of the cable to move'longitudinally on the messenger wire but 'at the same time the serrations prevent relative movement of the supported cable and messenger Wire hook so that bunching of the hooks 4 is prevented.

It is to be note-d that, in the field, the strap may be shortened by breaking and removing more or less of blocks 2|l and shortening, if thought necessary, wire ends 33 and 34er the strap may have additional blocks 2l placed on the ends 33 and 34 to the extent made possible by their length after allowance is made for the wire necessary to form the twisted ends.u d

Although we have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of our invention, and a modification thereof, nevertheless, lwe -desire to have it understood that the form selected is merelyillustrative but does not exhaust possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying our invention.V a l What we'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Afcabling device, including,- in combination: a Stringing wire formed with serrations; "a plurality of beads, spaced apart, formed of insulating materialformed in place on said wire each bead formed with two `spaced through orifices. one on eachside of the Stringing wire and adapted to receive an attaching wire; an attaching wire vbent with its ends parallel and positioned, one end in one orifice` of each block andthe other end in the other oriiice of each block, said wire formed into a loop at its median portion, said loop providing bulging ends whereby the said members may be wrapped about a cable and the free ends of the attachingwire may be passed one on one side of ythe oneibulge of the loop and the other on the remote side of the other bulge of the loop and be twisted together.

2. A cabling device, including, in combination: a sti-inging wire formed with serratiOnS; a plurality of beads, spaced apart. formed of insulating material formed in placeon said wire each bead formed with two Aspaced through orices, one on each'side of the Stringing wire and adapted to receive an attaching wire; an attaching wire bent with its ends parallel and positioned, one

end in one orifice of each block and the other' end in the other orifice of each block, said wire formed into' loop at its median portion, said loop providing bulging ends whereby the said members maybe wrapped about a cable and the free ends of the attaching wire may be passed one on one side oi' the one bulge of the loop and the other on the remote side of the other bulge of the loop and be twisted together, and means for hanging said loop to a messenger wire.

3. A cabling device, including, in combination: a Stringing wire formed with indentations; a plurality of beads, said Ibeads being positioned on said Stringing wire along its length and spaced apart, each of said beads formed with two through orifices, said orifices having their longitudinal axis parallel with said Stringing wire and one positioned on one side of said Stringing wire and the other positioned on the other side of said stringing wire; an attaching. wire, said attaching wire including a loop having a bulging portion at each end and having two substantially parallel free end portions extending from the loop, one of the end -portions extending through the orifices in the beads on either side of the Stringing wire whereby a cable strap is formed which may be wrapped about a cable with the beads in contact with the cable and whereby fthe free ends of the attaching wire may be passed one under one bulge of the loop and the other under the other bulge of the loop and then lbe twisted together whereby a cable will be iirrnly held.

4. A cabling device, including, in combination: a Stringing wire formed with indentations; a plu.. ralty of beads, said beads being positioned on said Stringing wire along its length and spaced apart, each of said beads formed with two through orifices, said orifices having their longitudinal axis parallel with said Stringing wire and one positioned on one side of said Stringing wire and the other positioned on the other side of said stringing wire; an attaching wire, said attaching wire, including a loop having a bulging portion at each end and having two substantially parallel free end portions extending from the loop, one of the end portions extending through the orifices in the beads on one side of the Stringing wire and the other end portion extending through the orices in the beads on the other side of the Stringing wire whereby a cable strap is formed which may be wrapped about a cable with the beads in contact with the :cable and whereby the free ends of the attaching wire may be passed one under one lbulge of the loop and the other under the other bulge of the loop and then be twisted together whereby a cable will be rmly held, and means adapted for supporting the loop from a messenger wire.

5. A cabling strap, including, in combination: a plurality of insulating beads; means maintaining said beads in line land in spaced relation; means passing through each of the beads and providing free ends one of which is in the form of a supporting loop and the other of which consists of two ends which may be twisted together after being passed one on one side of the loop and the other on the other side of the loop.

6. A bead for a cabling strap formed of insulating material and provided with serrations on opposite faoeslthereof and provided with through orifices one on each side of the center thereof.

7. An attaching wire for supporting a cable from a messenger wire hook having arloop with a bulge at each end adapted to receive the hook and having two substantially parallel portions extending from the loop adapted to be passed through spaced alined insulating beads, one of said parallel portions --being positioned under the` bulge at a distance from the free end and the other parallel portion being positioned at the other bulge alt a distance from the free end and the parts of the parallel portion between the free ends and the bulge being twisted together.

SAMUEL P. HULL. JOHN J. CORCORAN. BEVERLY A. LUNDY. 

